Generally, a conventional coin sorting apparatus included in a coin receiving system is provided with a single coin sorting unit that sorts coins of mixed denominations sequentially by denomination.
The coin sorting unit of the conventional coin sorting apparatus, in general, conveys coins successively in a horizontal direction along a coin passage, sorts the coins by diameter, and drops coins of different denominations through sorting holes of sizes respectively corresponding to denominations. Generally, a coin feed unit for feeding coins one by one into the coin passage is so constructed as to push coins one by one from a rotating feed disk through a thickness-limiting plate into the coin passage.
This conventional coin sorting apparatus has the following problems. The numbers of diameter and thickness classes of coins to be sorted increase when the denominations of coins to be sorted increases and, in some cases, it is difficult for the conventional coin sorting apparatus to sort coins of a large number of mixed denominations by a single coin sorting unit. Even if the coin sorting apparatus could sort those coins, only limited sorting methods are feasible by the coin sorting unit.
As regards Euro coins, in particular, there are Euro coins of eight denominations and the countries associated with Euro coins are in the process of currency unification for unifying their traditional currency systems into the common Euro currency system. Thus both the coins of the currency systems of those countries and Euro coins are used. The foregoing problem in the conventional coin sorting apparatus becomes more serious when those coins of such a large variety of denominations must be sorted.
FIG. 45 shows the lower surface 401b of a stationary disk 401 included in a prior art rotary disk type coin sorting apparatus disclosed in JP-A-63-250793 (1988) in a schematic plan view. The coin sorting apparatus is provided with a rotary disk, not shown, disposed under the lower surface 401b of the stationary disk 401, having a resilient upper surface and capable of rotation. The stationary disk 401 is provided with a central coin-feed opening 401a. Coins C fed into the coin-feed opening 401a slide along the lower surface 401b of the stationary disk 401 as the rotary disk rotates.
The stationary disk 401 guides and sorts the coins C by diameter as the coins C slide along the lower surface 401b thereof. More specifically, a coin guide passage 410 is formed in the lower surface 401b of the stationary disk 401 so as to face the coin-feed opening 401a. The coin guide passage 410 has a coin guide section 411 for guiding coins C fed into the coin-feed opening 401a, and a land 413 for separating superposed coins C.
A coin arranging part 402 is formed contiguously with the coin guide passage 410. Coins Care moved radalaly outward by centrifugal force acting thereon and their edges engage the outer edge 404 of the coin arranging part 402, whereby the coins C are arranged sequentially. As the rotary disk rotates, the coins C thus arranged by the coin arranging part 402 are held resiliently between the lower surface 401b of the stationary disk 401 and the resilient upper surface of the rotary disk and are moved along and inside a geometric circular guide line 406.
FIG. 45 shows an arrangement for sorting coins of three denominations, i.e., large coins C1 having a big diameter, medium coins C2 having a medium diameter and small coins C3 having a small diameter, by way of example. A small coin guide groove 415a, a medium coin guide groove 415b and a large coin guide groove 415c are arranged in that order along the guide line 406 from the upstream side downward. The guide grooves 415a, 415b and 415c selectively guide only small coins C3, medium coins C2 and large coins C1, respectively, so as to eject respective coins outside the stationary disk 401.
More concretely, the small coin guide groove 415a permits only small coins C3 among coins moving along the guide line 406 to enter therein, guides small coins C3 outward by the radial inner edge 416a so that small coins C3 are ejected from the stationary disk 401, and does not permit large coins C1 and middle coins C2 to enter therein. The medium coin guide groove 415b permits only medium coins C2 to enter therein, guides medium coins C2 outward by the radial inner edge 416b so that medium coins C2 are ejected from the stationary disk 401, and does not permit large coins C1 to enter therein. The large coin guide groove 415c permits large coins C1 passed by the guide grooves 415a and 415b to enter therein and guides large coins C1 outward by the radial inner edge 416c so that small coins C3 are ejected from the stationary disk 401.
This prior art coin sorting apparatus has the following problems. Since coins C are arranged in succession along the guide line 406 by the coin arranging part 402 by the agency of centrifugal force acting on coins C, the rotary disk needs to be at a comparatively high rotating speed. Consequently, the degree of freedom for determining the rotating speed of the rotary disk, i.e., sorting speed, is reduced.
When the coin sorting apparatus is jammed with coins, it is advantageous if the sorting process can be continued by rotating the rotary disk in the normal direction after temporarily reversing the rotary disk. However, coins which have been moved outside the guide line 406 by the respective radial inner edges 416a to 416c of the coin guide grooves 415a to 415c cannot be moved back to their initial positions inside the guide line 406 even if the rotary disk is reversed. Thus, the coin sorting apparatus is unable to resume its sorting operation normally even if the rotary disk is rotated in the normal direction after temporarily reversing the rotary disk.
There have been proposed coin sorting apparatuses, including the foregoing prior art coin sorting apparatus, which sort coins sliding along the lower surface of a stationary disk by diameter. In those prior art coin sorting apparatus, coins held between a resilient member attached to the upper surface of a rotary disk and a stationary disk are moved in the rotating direction of the rotary disk. Coins moved in the rotating direction of the rotary disk slide relative to the lower surface of the stationary member, are sorted by diameter, and sorted coins are ejected outside from the stationary disk. Thus the coins are moved spirally along the lower surface of the stationary disk.
Those coin sorting apparatuses have the following problems. The surface of the resilient member is coated with a synthetic rubber having a comparatively low corrosion resistance, such as butyl rubber. The resilient member is abraded comparatively rapidly and the coin conveying ability of the resilient member is reduced in a comparatively short time, so that it is difficult for the coin sorting apparatuses to maintain ability to carry out a reliable coin sorting operation for a long period of time.
The surface of the resilient member is flat and smooth and has an isotropic coin holding ability. Therefore, a force exerted on coins by the resilient member to restrain coins from radial movement increases excessively if the moving ability of the resilient member to move coins in the rotating direction of the rotary disk is increased. Such contradictory conditions are a serious obstacle to the enhancement of the reliability of the coin sorting operation.
A prior art coin sorting apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2557278 shown in FIGS. 46 and 47 has a guide structure 513 for guiding coins C, defining a substantially horizontal passage, and a conveyor belt 514 for conveying coins C along the guide structure 513. A coin feed unit 9 is disposed near an inlet end of the guide structure 513. The coin feed unit 9 is provided with a feed disk 90 for feeding coins C one by one onto the guide structure 513.
The guide structure 513 is provided in its middle part with an ejecting hole 511. A rotary member 510 is disposed under the ejecting hole 511. As shown in FIG. 46, an identification unit 516 is disposed on the upstream side of the ejecting hole 511 of the guide structure 513 to identify coins. A coin sensor 517 for detecting a coin C is disposed in a section between the identification unit 516 and the ejecting hole 511 of the passage.
As shown in FIG. 47, the rotary member 510 is supported for turning about an axis parallel to the carrying surface of the passage and perpendicular to a coin conveying direction in which coins C are conveyed. The rotary member 510 has a flat part 510A having a flat surface parallel to the axis of the rotary member 510 and a cylindrical part 510B having a cylindrical surface whose axis coincides with the axis of the rotary member 510. A pressure roller 515 is disposed at a position corresponding to the ejecting hole 511 in contact with the upper side of the conveyor belt 514 to press a coin C down.
The rotary member 510 can be turned by a rotary solenoid actuator R shown in FIG. 46 between a coin-passing position to support a coin C to enable the coin C to move past the ejecting hole 511, at which the cylindrical part 510B faces the ejecting hole 511 as shown in FIG. 47(a), and a coin-ejecting position to eject a coin C through the ejecting hole 511, at which the flat part 510A faces the ejecting hole 511 as shown in FIG. 47(b). FIG. 47(c) shows the rotary member 510 at a transient position through which the rotary member 510 is returned from the coin-ejecting position shown in FIG. 47(b) to the coin-passing position shown in FIG. 47(a). When the rotary member 510 is set at the coin-ejecting position shown in FIG. 47(b), the flat surface of the flat part 510A declines downstream relative to the passage of the guide structure 513.
This prior art coin sorting apparatus operates as follows.
(1) A coin C being conveyed through the guide structure 513 by the conveyor belt 514 is supported by the cylindrical part 510B of the rotary member 510 as the same moves over the ejecting hole 511 and is conveyed past the ejecting hole 511 when the rotary member 510 is set at the coin-passing position shown in FIG. 47(a).
(2) A coin C being conveyed through the guide structure 513 by the conveyor belt 514 drops into the ejecting hole 511, slides down along the flat surface of the flat part 510A and is ejected when the rotary member 510 is at the coin-ejecting position shown in FIG. 47(b).
This coin sorting apparatus has the following problems. When the rotary member 510 is set at the coin-passing position shown in FIG. 47(a), a leading part of a coin C moving over the rotary member 510 moves over the edge of the ejecting hole 511 onto the passage, and then the coin C is partly held between the surface of the passage and the conveyor belt 514. If the rotary member 510 is turned toward the coin-ejecting position in this state, a part of the cylindrical part 510B supporting a back part of the coin C moves toward the upstream side of the guide structure 513 as shown in FIG. 47(b).
Accordingly, if the timing of turning the rotary member 510 from the coin-passing position toward the coin-ejecting position is advanced excessively, the preceding coin C cannot be successfully conveyed past the ejecting hole 511. This restriction on the timing of turning the rotary member 510 from the coin-passing position toward the coin-ejecting position is an obstacle to the enhancement of the sorting speed of the coin sorting process.
In addition, the coin moving straight in the conveying direction is passed over or dropped into the ejecting hole 511 along the same direction in a plane view. Thus, the difference between the diameter of the smallest coin C that can pass over the ejecting hole 511 with the rotary member 510 set at the coin-passing position (FIG. 47(a)) and the diameter of the largest coin C capable of dropping through the ejecting hole 511 with the rotary member 510 set at the coin-ejecting position (FIG. 47(b)) should not be very large. That is, the prior art coin sorting apparatus is capable of sorting only coins having different diameters in a narrow range.
All the conventional coin receiving systems are capable of accepting only coins of the same specific currency unit, such as yen or dollar, and reject all the coins of other currency units. There are some coin receiving systems that convert the amount of money of a first currency unit (e.g. yen) into the corresponding amount of money of a second currency unit (e.g. dollar) and perform a money receiving procedure, which also is capable of accepting only coins of the same currency unit.
However, for example, the countries of the EU are in the process of currency unification for changing their old (traditional) currency units into the new currency unit “Euro”. Therefore it is very convenient if both the coins of the old currency unit and the new currency unit can be accepted and a sum total amount of money in the new currency unit can be used for a money receiving procedure.